Maletsema Phofu, currently serving as CIO (designate) at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), is set to officially take on the chief information officer role from 1 January 2025.
In May 2024, Maletsema Phofu was appointed as the University of Johannesburg’s (UJ’s) new director of information security (CISO). Maletsema is a highly experienced cybersecurity professional and has been responsible for leading all the cybersecurity endeavours at UJ since the appointment. Her tenure as CIO Designate began on 1 October and will continue until the end of December preparing her to succeed outgoing CIO, Khathu Sibanda, who left the institution in June this year.
“I am super excited to start my new role as the CIO as a former CISO,” Maletsema told CIO South Africa. “Hear me out: CISOs and CIOs sometimes have conflicting priorities, and here I am, unconflicted, ready to partner with the University of Johannesburg stakeholders to deliver innovative, sustainable, secure and societal-impacting solutions all in one. What others dream about, the University of Johannesburg has brought to life.
“This position allows me to merge security with strategic innovation, paving the way for impactful technology that will shape the future of education and elevate UJ’s position on the global stage. I’m thrilled to embark on this journey and redefine what’s possible in higher education technology,” she added.
Maletsema holds a BTech in information security from the Unisa, a BCom in informatics from the University of Pretoria and a master of commerce from the same institution. She is currently completing her master’s degree in digital business at Wits Business School.
